Jeonju City Trip

I went to Jeonju City today, which is the capital of North Jeolla, a province in South Korea. I first heard about Jeonju from a Korean who suggested a returning tourist to visit the place so as to confirm the buzz about this city’s special flare in serving authentic and delicious Korean food. The suggestion was not liked I guess, because the trip never pushed through. I was nevertheless given a chance to do a walking tour of the city and invited myself in. I personally wanted to have a feel of how it is like in South Korea’s smaller cities in the provinces.

Read More...

An Authentic Seollal Family Gathering

Koreans do spend time with their families, too.
And may even invite non-members to the kin, you know =)

The Koreans and the Chinese celebrate the lunar new year on the same day, but Koreans call their first day of the lunar year as Seollal (설날). It's one of the biggest holidays in South Korea and they are spent with lots of food and quality time with the family.

Read More...

A Valentine Visit to the Incas

I got hitched to a couple’s Valentine’s date to a museum. Yeehah! (LOL).

I was out with my housemates today, who thought it would be nice to relax in the evening and get some fresh air. So off we went to the National Museum of Korea (Ichon Station, Subway Line 4, Exit 2) and caught on the exhibit of the Incan-Peruvian Civilization. Some people may find this whole museum tripping such a boring idea, but you see, Peru and Machu Picchu will forever be a dream travel destination for me. I also happen to live with a housemate who is a History major, and she has always loved arts and the galleries. She felt the need to keep herself updated with her passion. Not bad, eh?

Read More...

The Winter Ski Experience

One important thing that I will always remember about skiing: It will forever be such a hard sport unless I eat a full breakfast and get more than three hours of sleep the night before I get on to it. Hahaha.

I spent the night yesterday trying out skiing for the second time with workmates. Quite redeeming, I must say. The first time I tried skiing was just two Saturdays ago, and it almost killed me as I geared up for the sport with barely three hours of sleep and very little food in the stomach. Then there were the slightly defected ski and ‘pole-less’ attempts to glide in my bloated ski outfit. These, along with the long lines for the lifts under the surprisingly glowing sun on that snowy weekend, really let me brand skiing as such an exhausting sport. Nah, but first time experiences will always be memorable for me.

Read More...

Happy 25th or 27th, your call.

Unlike last year when I went panicky on how to go about in celebrating my birthday outside the country for the first time, I was more willing to let my 25th year on earth today pass by just like any ordinary day. I wasn’t as excited as how I would normally be, recalling the 23 times that I have celebrated it in the Philippines. And I have my reasons: (1) instant pre-occupation with life and work in South Korea, and (2) acceptance of the difference in birthday norms here and my home country.

I remember sharing my February-4 birthday last year with my male housemate, lucky that the moon told him to take that date, too. For this year though, my housemate’s birthday has moved away to a later date, which I think as of writing, he still has not quite figured out when.

Read More...

The New Year 2010 Post

Again, sorry for the lame title.

I am still wheezing my lungs out as I write this, having traveled from a hot afternoon in the Philippines to a freezing evening in South Korea four hours after. See how suddenly contradicting a person’s life could turn just like that? Here I am now in front of my laptop, contacting my parents via Yahoo messager to tell them that I got back safely to my residence here in South Korea. It’s just weird to think that how I am quietly coiled back to my room in Seoul right now actually feels like I have been this way all my life, when just four hours ago and the two weeks before that, I was sanely back to how I have always REALLY been... un-claustrophobic and more able to gas out from my always-laughing mouth. Put simply, back to my old, distinguishable self. Hahaha.

Read More...

My Back-to-Pinas Christmas

How does it really feel like going home for the holidays in the Philippines? Okay, it’s not like I have been in and out of the country for ten or twenty years to fully capture this whole “homecoming” and “balikbayan” feeling, but I sure have my personal regard for this sappy home-country longings and returns…

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Read More...

The Abs of a Ninja Assassin

I can’t emphasize this enough. It’s just Rain and the abs. Nothing about the plot and other whatsoever’s. Wahahaha. Ok, so I am being such a 'perv' again.

I caught on the movie Ninja Assassin, showcasing the slim and towering figure of Rain (Bi)— probably one of the few Korean stars that anyone who has the slightest interest in the KPop entertainment industry would at least know. Rain personally became famous to me because of the hit Korean drama that was previously shown in the Philippines, Full House. While I don’t think that he (and almost all Korean actors) is good-looking, Rain takes my breath away when he dances. And the “breaded” bod? Come on, *drools*.

Read More...

Miso II

Given that South Korea also boasts of a dynastically rich history and culture, efforts to portray them artistically abound. Theatrical plays are common in the country, and most of them showcase Korean history, dynasty, culture, and tradition as general themes.

I got the chance to watch MISO II (춘향연가) at the Myeongdong Theatre today. The play only runs from November 26 to November 29, and was lucky enough to be invited by a friend who shared her two free tickets with me. It is actually a musical, and a sequel to the equally successful play, MISO. While both are love stories, the characters introduced in each of the plays are different. I was not able to watch the first MISO, but I would like to believe that this sequel showcased more traditional dances aside from South Korea's native songs that were present in both.

Read More...

On Speedy Korean Weddings

One of the very first adjectives that I came up with to describe my first few months of stay in South Korea was QUICK— quick, quick, quick on anything! Quick subway travel time, quick (brisk) walking of people on the streets, quick (rushed) polishing of any kind of work. Everything seems to be done in some speed above the normal. But when I said anything, I never thought they wouldn’t spare weddings. Yes, weddings! Weddings where even that simple walk in the aisle by the bride would normally take some time and a couple of yawns from guests already. That of course, had you been in the Philippines. But here? Hell no!

Read More...